Into the Fog
by Jenna Riedell
Summary: All Nana Adachi wanted when she moved to Inaba to live with her brother was a quiet, stress-free school year. What she got instead was a murder mystery too close to the supernatural for comfort. AU where the protagonist is Adachi's sister.
1. Chapter 1

_April 11, 2011_

At fifteen years old, Nana Adachi had the rest of her life completely mapped out – her remaining time in high school was to be spent divided quite evenly and cleanly between maintaining perfect grades in school, rising in the ranks of a sports club, and attending cram school, so that she'd easily get into the University of Tokyo, where she'd pursue medicine or economics.

After all, she was "special" – good at sports, even better at school, always polite to her elders and superiors, friendly with her peers, and reserved enough that people didn't find her annoying. She was good at cooking and housework, so finding a good husband would be no trouble at all. Independent, but not so strong that men would be put off. Dependable. ("Nothing like that good-for-nothing brother of yours, at any rate.")

At sixteen, all those plans for her future were scrapped, and she found herself practically shoved onto a train by her mother and on her way to the tiny, rural village of Inaba.

Nana knew that it was her own fault, of course – it always was, and there was never any room for argument. In her mother's mind, Inaba was the ideal place for rejects and failures – hell, Nana's brother Tohru was sent there after an _incident _that got him in trouble, so why not? In a way, it was the ideal time-out corner, in a sit-here-and-think-about-what-you-did sort of way. Yasogami High School, her new high school, was supposedly much lower ranked than her old one ("This school is _much_ better suited to someone of your caliber, I think.") and cram school was out of the question altogether ("If you can't pass a simple final exam, how do you expect to get into Todai?").

In a way, the move was like exile. "What you need right now, Nana, is a safe space," her father had said shortly before she left. "Someplace quiet, where you can think." And yes, Inaba would be quiet and peaceful, given how secluded it was – after all, she was only expected to keep her grades up, now. Never mind clubs and cram school. She couldn't even juggle the three the previous term, so why bother with anything else?

* * *

Tohru was late.

He was probably just caught up with work, Nana tried reasoning with herself – but Inaba was _cold_ – much colder than Nagata-cho – and she _really_ didn't want to catch a cold just after arriving. She sat on the steps in front of the train station, running through the text messages on her cell phone (about half of them wished her good luck; the rest expounded on how much she would be missed), and Tohru showed up almost half an hour later. "Sorry, Nana! I got caught up with work. My boss is sort of a slave driver. Have you lost weight?"

And the whole situation felt so familiar and calming and _normal_ that Nana couldn't bring herself to get angry. For the next year, it was to be just the two of them, and maybe Dad was right – maybe she _would_ be able to unwind in Inaba and get her life back in order. At any rate, things would be _much_ easier without Mom constantly breathing down her neck.

"So, what do you think?" Tohru asked as they drove to his home – her new home.

"It's… clean," Nana said lamely.

Tohru just laughed at that. "Way to think positive. But don't worry – I know it's boring and dull. I mean, there's nothing here." He quickly pulled into what Nana would later learn was the shopping district. "I'm just going to fill up on gas, okay?"

The Moel Gas Station looked like any other gas station, and it seemed to stand out amongst all of the small shops and stands that filled the street. "Welcome to Moel!" said the gas station attendant, a man with dark hair pulled into a ponytail and a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. When she looked at the attendant out of the corner of her eye, Nana could see that his hair was the exact same shade of dark brown as hers, and his eyes were as grey as hers – it was almost like looking into a mirror.

"Hey," Tohru said, grinning, and then the illusion was shattered, and Nana could no longer see her face in the gas station attendant's. "Fill 'er up for me, will you? Regular's fine."

The gas station attendant turned his head to regard her. "Is she your girlfriend?"

Tohru chuckled. "No, she's my sister," he replied. "She just moved here from the big city."

"The city, huh?" the attendant asked slowly, his grin widening ever so slightly.

"I'm gonna go for a smoke," Tohru said. "Watch the car for me, will you, Nana?"

Nana sighed as Tohru walked closer to the road, watching him as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. "Are you in high school?" the attendant asked her.

"Yeah, I am," Nana answered a bit reservedly.

The attendant chuckled as he set to work on the car. "I'm surprised a city girl such as yourself decided to move to such a quiet, desolate place. There's so little to do here, you'll probably get bored quickly."

"I'll manage," Nana said dryly, more to herself than to the attendant.

"Well then," the attendant said, wiping his hands on his pants and extending one hand out to her. "Allow me to formally welcome you to Inaba, Nana-san."

She shook his hand more out of politeness than anything. And once the attendant left, there was a sharp pain in her head and a ringing in her ears. "What's wrong?" she heard Tohru ask, as if from far away. "You okay?"

"I think I'm going to be sick," she whispered before covering her mouth with one hand and dashing toward the bathroom.

* * *

"And now, for the local news. City council secretary Taro Namatame is under fire for an alleged relationship with a female reporter. His wife, enka ballad sensation Misuzu Hiiragi, revealed that she will likely pursue damages. In response, Eye Television has decided to suspend all of announcer Mayumi Yamano's televised appearances. Until allegations of an affair with Mr. Namatame are resolved, she'll remain off the air and out of the public eye."

"Tch." Tohru's eyes were narrowed in contempt. "It's people like this that piss me off the most…"

If Nana hadn't been feeling sick to her stomach then, lying on the couch with a wet towel on her forehead, then maybe she would have commented on what Tohru had just said.

* * *

_April 12, 2011_

Nana wasn't at all nervous for her first day of school.

Sure, this was her first time transferring to a different school. Sure, she didn't know anyone and was almost completely lost. Sure, her classmates' faces blended together in her mind, and she couldn't tell a single one apart. Sure, they all stared at her like she was some foreign student, and _I might as well dye my hair blonde, because they won't stare any more than they're staring right now_.

So, no. Not nervous at all.

The first day was always a short one, and the last bell rang quickly enough. And then, Nana met the three people who were to become her closest friends.

"HiChiethanksforlendingmethisitwasreallyawesomebye!" said a tall, brown-haired boy, thrusting a DVD into the hands of the short-haired girl who sat next to Nana.

"Hold it," the girl Chie said in a deadpan, casually sticking her foot out to trip the boy before he could run away. She opened the case, and the color practically drained from her face as she gasped. "Yosuke, what the _hell_? It's completely cracked!"

"I'm sorry!" the boy yelped. "I-It was an accident! I fell on my bike this morning, and—"

A girl with long black hair peered at him from behind Chie. "Are you okay?"

"Yukiko, don't sympathize with him!" Chie yelled. "Did you see what he did to my _Trial of the Dragon_?"

"Yes, but the new girl is _also_ watching us, and we're setting a _terrible_ example," the girl Yukiko said, pointing almost absentmindedly to Nana.

Suddenly, a chiming sound rang throughout the classroom. "Attention," said a voice over the intercom. "There's been an incident on school grounds. Students, please remain calm and head home immediately."

"Wow, I wonder what happened…" Chie mused. "Ugh, now I don't wanna walk home alone… Hey, new girl, wanna walk home with us?"

"Uh…" Nana said uncertainly, twirling a strand of hair self-consciously. "Sure, I guess. I'm Nana, by the way. Nana Adachi."

"I'm Chie Satonaka," Chie said, "and this is Yukiko Amagi."

Yukiko bowed politely. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Chie groaned. "Yukiko! Don't act so polite! Now you're making me look bad!"

"And I'm Yosuke Hanamura," said the boy on the ground as he struggled to stand up. "Sorry you had to see all of this, Nana-san. Chie's not that good with people in general."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chie shrieked, raising her leg and threatening to kick him.

And all the while, Nana couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

"So what made you move?" Chie asked Nana on the way home. "I mean, it's not every day people from the city come all the way here."

"My parents are working abroad," Nana lied, because there was no way she was explaining the whole situation to someone she just met – or to anyone at all. Ever.

"Oh, so _that's_ it," Chie said. "That makes sense."

"Are you staying with relatives while your parents are away?" Yukiko asked.

"Yeah," Nana answered. "My brother lives here, so I'm staying with him. So, um… have you two always lived here?"

"From the day we were born," Yukiko answered sagely.

"Not me!" Chie said triumphantly. "I was born in the hospital in Okina City, so _there_." Yukiko simply gave Chie a flat stare, and Nana giggled. Through the fog, Nana could see people gathering by one street. "What's going on over there?" Chie wondered as she quickly joined the crowd.

"Ah, Chie, maybe you shouldn't…" Yukiko protested as she ran after her. Nana couldn't deny that her curiosity had been piqued as well, and she didn't so much walk as let her feet carry her there. "It looks like something serious," Yukiko whispered. "Maybe we should…"

Just then, a tall in a grey shirt and red tie walked up to him. He was tall, with greying hair and frown lines prominent on his forehead, and with the way he was glaring at the three of them, Nana wanted to melt into the floor. "Hey, you kids shouldn't be here," he said sternly.

"Oh, uh…" Chie said slowly. "W-We were just… passing through?"

The man sighed. "Should've figured that'd happen…" he grumbled to himself. "That damn principal. We told him not to let them through here…" Before the man could get another word in, someone shoved past him, collapsing to his knees a little ways away and emptying the contents of his stomach. "Adachi!" the man snapped. "How long are you going to act like a rookie? You want to be sent back to the central office?"

"Wait, _Adachi_?" Chie interjected, staring wide-eyed at Nana.

"Is that…?" Yukiko asked, gasping.

"Brother…?" It was Tohru, without a doubt, and Nana stepped over to him cautiously.

"Whoa, Nana…" Tohru said groggily. "Didn't expect to run into you here…"

She crouched down by him so that she was closer to eye-level with him. "Are you okay?"

Tohru winced, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "Yeah, j-just… There's a dead body over there, and—"

"A _what_?" Chie shrieked.

"Adachi!" the man in the dark shirt scolded. "You don't just go around blabbing information like that to random civilians!"

"S-Sorry, Dojima-san!" Tohru yelped.

The man sighed, his expression softening a little. "Just… go wash your face," he instructed before turning to walk back to the crime scene. "We need to collect more information."

"R-Right away, sir!" Nana helped her brother stand up, and he grinned at Chie and Yukiko. "Hey, good for you, little sis! Looks like you made some new friends already!"

"Chie-san, Yukiko-san, this is my brother Tohru," Nana introduced.

"Nice to meet ya!" Adachi said. "Anyway, I gotta go. Uh…" He scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish. "Nana, I think I'll be busy for a while tonight, so… think you can manage on your own?"

Nana just smiled at him. "I'll be fine."

* * *

_April 13. 2011_

"Yosuke, you're never going to get a girlfriend."

"Shut up."

"I mean, you promise someone steak—"

"Shut up."

"—and then take them to the family business instead."

"I get it, Chie!"

"I don't mind," Nana said, leaning back in her chair and sipping on her drink through a straw. "This is nice." Free time, she'd quickly concluded, was absolutely amazing. The school term had just barely started, so there was no reason to worry about schoolwork just yet. She wasn't allowed to join clubs for another week or so, at the very least, so she didn't have to worry about club responsibilities, either. And _no cram school_.

"Where did you say you were from again, Nana-san?" Yosuke asked.

"Haven't you heard everyone talking?" Chie interjected. "She's from Tokyo!"

"I know that!" Yosuke shot back. "If you haven't exactly noticed, Tokyo's _huge_. I'm asking where _in_ Tokyo she's—"

"Nagata-cho," Nana answered. "I'm from Nagata-cho."

"Really?" Yosuke asked, looking excited. "I'm from Shinjuku, so that's not too far from where you're from.

"Seriously?" Nana yelled, then promptly covered her mouth in embarrassment. "Sorry, that was really loud."

"Aw, you guys have to take me to all these awesome places," Chie whined.

"Well, since you're already freeloading on food, why not?" Yosuke retorted, grinning. And, as it turned out, people _were_ staring at them, some of them exchanging whispers. Yosuke sighed, looking dejected. "Geez… Did you guys hear about that incident yesterday? It's been such a drag ever since it happened."

"Well, what do you expect?" Chie said. "Someone was found _dead_, Yosuke, and they still don't know how she died!"

"Who was it, anyway?" Nana asked, a series of unpleasant emotions swirling in her gut. "The person who died."

"Uh…" Chie mumbled. "You might not know much about her, but… it was this announcer on TV. Mayumi Yamano."

"I think I saw something about her the day I came here," Nana mused. "Wasn't she in trouble because she was having an affair with someone important?"

"Something like that…" Yosuke said uncertainly. "I heard she was found hanging upside down on a telephone pole. How'd she even get up there in the first place?"

"The police still can't tell if this is an accident or a murder," Chie pointed out. "And remember that scary detective we met yesterday, Nana? Not your brother, but the other one? He looked _really_ stressed out."

"Oh no, don't tell me you guys are talking about it, too…" Nana hadn't noticed the wavy-haired girl in the Junes employee uniform until she'd spoken up.

Yosuke jumped, and his face turned bright scarlet as he twisted around to look at her. "S-Senpai!"

"Hey, Hana-chan," the girl said tiredly. "I see you're helping the family business."

Yosuke laughed awkwardly, his face turning redder by the second as he grinned at the Junes employee. "Nah, it's nothing like that. We just wanted to officially welcome Nana-san to town."

The girl gave Nana a tired smile. "Oh, so you're the new transfer student?" She chuckled. "If you're wondering how someone like _me_ knows about this, let's just say that Yasogami High doesn't get that many transfer students, usually. I'm Saki, by the way."

"I'm Nana," Nana replied. "It's nice to meet you, uh… Senpai?"

"Hey, Senpai, she's from the city, too!" Chie interjected.

Saki raised one eyebrow, looking impressed. "Really? Then I hope you'll get along with Hana-chan. He's a little lacking in the friend department, if you haven't noticed."

"Wait, no," Yosuke said hurriedly. "Senpai, I—"

"But you've got to let him know right to his face when he starts bothering you," Saki continued. "He tends to stick his foot in his mouth a lot. You're pretty cute, so he probably tried bringing you here on a date, huh?"

"Jump to something like that so quickly?" Yosuke asked. "No way."

Saki chuckled. "I'm just kidding," she said. "Anyway, I need to get back to work. See you guys later!"

"Uh, S-Senpai!" Yosuke called as he scrambled out of his chair and stumbled after her.

"So…" Nana said as soon as he was gone, resting her elbow on the table and her head in her hand. "She's his sort of girlfriend, but not yet?"

"Exactly," Chie said flatly. "Her family runs a liquor store in the shopping district. I don't know why she'd be working _here_, of all places, though."

"Why?"

Chie leaned in close. "Don't you know?" she whispered. "Shopping district people _hate_ Junes because they think it's stealing away business."

Nana's eyes widened. "Seriously? But wouldn't it make more sense if they all worked together?"

"Yeah, try telling _them_ that," Chie retorted. "A lot of those shops in the shopping district have been open for generations."

Yosuke interrupted the conversation by slumping back into his seat and giving a dreamy sigh. "She says _I'm_ annoying, huh?" he said, smiling. "She has a younger brother, and she pretty much treats me the same way."

Chie smirked. "Oh, so you don't want her treating you like a brother, huh?"

Nana sighed happily. "It's like something straight out of a shoujo manga."

"I hate you both," Yosuke grumbled.

"Oh, come on," Chie said. Without warning, she grabbed his face and pulled up the corners of his mouth. "Time to turn that frown upside down, Yosuke! I have _just_ the solution for you." Yosuke jerked out of Chie's grasp, and Nana giggled. "Have you guys heard of the Midnight Channel? Supposedly, if you stare into a blank TV screen at midnight when it rains, you'll see your soulmate."

"Seriously?" Nana asked.

"Seriously," Chie replied, nodding.

"Chie, have you ever seen this thing actually work?" Yosuke asked.

"Well, no, but—" Chie started.

"Then it's just a stupid rumor!" Yosuke shot back.

"Well, it's _supposed_ to rain tonight," Nana said. "Maybe we could try it out and see for ourselves?"

* * *

Nana yawned as she stared at the blank TV screen. She'd only left some of the lights on in her brother's home, so it was still rather dim, and the sound of the rain falling outside made her feel calm. Nana was alone in the flat – Tohru had called earlier, saying that he was going to be late – and she wouldn't have had it any other way.

Then the clocks struck midnight, and the screen whirred to life. There was something that sounded like static coming from the TV as an image appeared on the screen – a girl with long hair. Actually, she looked quite a bit like the girl that had appeared earlier on the news – the high school girl who'd found Mayumi Yamano's body. But there was something else there – the girl seemed to be in pain, and she was convulsing as she flitted across the flickering screen.

And then Nana received the worst headache of her life. It felt like her head was, quite literally, splitting open, and her ears were ringing incessantly. A woman's voice sounded in her mind – warm, yet somehow simultaneously bone-chilling.

_Take… my hand…_

Nana collapsed to her knees, putting her head in her hands. The headache was only growing worse, and the ringing was growing louder.

_Do not fear me… Thou art I… and I am thou…_

And then it was over, and Nana was left feeling dizzy and sick to her stomach. She leaned against the stand that supported the TV to stand…

… and then she was falling, and it was only because she managed to grab the side of the TV at the last second that she didn't fall entirely. Once the initial shock had worn off, she noticed that her legs were banging against the stand, and she was dangling precariously at the edge of what appeared to be a dark abyss. She screamed as she jerked her body toward where her feet were, and she tumbled onto the floor in front of the TV.

She barely even registered the front door opening. "I'm home! Oh, Nana, you're still awake?"

Nana pressed a shaking hand to her forehead. _Wh-What the hell just happened?_

* * *

_So… I published this earlier, then took it down, and then edited it some. And now I'm posting it back up. I kind of sort of know where I'm going with this?_

_Please review!_


	2. Chapter 2

_April 14, 2011_

Nana had thoroughly convinced herself that everything that had happened the previous night was simply a dream. The Midnight Channel was hard enough to believe, but almost falling into the TV itself? That was downright impossible. No, it had to be a dream, no matter how _real_ it felt.

"Are you feeling okay, Nana-san? You don't look well."

Resting in the nurse's office was out of the question, because, one, Nana wasn't sick to begin with, and, two, her mother would inevitably find out, and then there would be hell to pay. So Nana simply smiled at Yukiko, who was staring at her with concern. "I'm okay. I just have a headache."

"Be careful, though," Yukiko warned. "Inaba's environment is different from the city's, and a lot of people get sick while trying to adjust."

"I'll keep that in mind," Nana said quietly.

Chie and Yosuke then slid into their respective seats. "Oh, you guys are already here?" Yosuke asked.

"Sheesh," Chie grumbled. "We waited by the school gates for so long."

"Sorry, Chie," Yukiko said sheepishly. "Anyway, I saw that Midnight Channel thing you were talking about."

"Really, Yukiko-san?" Yosuke said almost dreamily. "So who was your soulmate?"

"I saw some girl," Chie answered.

"I was asking _Yukiko-san_, Chie!" Yosuke ranted. But then he crossed his arms and sighed. "But yeah. I saw a girl, too. I couldn't see her too clearly – there was so much static – but I'm pretty sure she was wearing our school uniform."

"The girl I saw had wavy hair," Nana quipped. "Actually, she… She kind of looked like that girl on the news yesterday. The one who found the body?"

"I think I saw Saki-senpai," Yukiko said uncertainly, "and… she _was_ on the news yesterday, wasn't she?"

"Wait, are you serious?" Yosuke said in a hushed whisper. "You mean we _all_ have the same soulmate? I mean, it would make sense for _me_ to see, her, but—"

"You fail at subtlety forever," Chie deadpanned. "But I don't know… It sounds a little fishy to me."

"Wait…" Nana said slowly. "There was… something else."

"All right, settle down!" Mr. Morooka barked as he entered the classroom.

"Tell us later," Yosuke whispered to her before the teacher could yell at them.

* * *

"Yukiko, are you sure you're allowed to be here?" Chie asked after school at Junes. "Don't you have work?"

"Not until tonight," Yukiko answered quickly. As if suddenly realizing something, her eyes widened. "Oh, right. Nana-san doesn't know about this. My family runs an inn here, and I help out there."

"The Amagi Inn," Chie interjected. "It's _famous_ around here, and it has the best hot springs _ever_."

Yosuke sighed. "I wanna go…"

"Then come," Yukiko said simply. "You just have to pay a modest fee of—"

"Never mind!" Yosuke yelped.

"So what was it that you wanted to tell us, Nana?" Chie asked.

"Um…" Nana mumbled. "I… Okay, this is going to sound really insane, and it probably isn't even real, and maybe I just imagined the whole thing—"

"Just tell us," Yosuke said impatiently.

"I…" Nana swallowed hard. "Maybe it'd be better if I just showed you…"

So, upon her request, Yosuke led her, Chie, and Yukiko to the electronics department. Nana faced a particularly large TV screen and took a deep breath. If what happened the previous night really was a dream, then her hand would meet glass, and everything would be normal. But if not…

Then a customer accidentally shoved her while walking past her. Unprepared, she stumbled forward, closing her eyes as she braced herself for the impact, but instead, all she could feel was empty space, and someone's hand tightly gripping her arm was the only thing stopping her from falling altogether. "Wh-What the hell?" Yosuke practically whimpered.

"Th-This can't be real…" Yukiko gasped.

"Th-This is a weird new model," Chie said shakily. "R-Right, Yosuke?"

"Guys, a little help here?" Nana cried, and she was unceremoniously yanked out of the TV. "Right. So that happened yesterday."

"But _how_?" Chie screeched.

"Not so loud, you idiot!" Yosuke hissed. "People are going to think we're nuts!"

Yukiko placed her hand under her chin. "I wonder…" She placed her hand on top of the TV screen and sighed. "It's no good. I can't do it."

"Maybe if I…" Nana mused, experimentally taking Yukiko's hand and pushing it through the screen.

"This can't be possible…" Yukiko whispered as she climbed onto the stand and peered inside the TV. "It's empty inside."

"Wh-What do you mean _empty_?" Chie whimpered.

But Nana's curiosity was sufficiently piqued, and she peered inside the TV as well. "Wh-What the hell are you doing?" Yosuke yelped.

Nana couldn't say exactly what happened next – regardless, she, Yukiko, Yosuke, and Chie were all falling into the TV, lower and lower, into something like a vortex that felt like it was sucking them in.

* * *

"Guys, I have to pee," Yosuke half-whined.

"Shut up," Chie snapped.

"Can't you hold it in?" Yukiko asked, sounding more and more agitated by the minute. Nana sneezed for the third time since they fell, and everyone winced. "Are you sure you're all right, Nana-san?"

"I'm fine," Nana assured Yukiko, sniffling a little. "Don't worry about me." A thick, oppressive fog blanketed… wherever they were, and Nana wanted to throw up.

"I'm sorry," Yukiko sighed. "This is all my fault. If I didn't try to look inside, we wouldn't have fallen in."

"You can't blame yourself for being curious, Yukiko," Chie said. "I mean, sure, I was more freaked out than curious, but still."

"I'm the one who should be apologizing," Nana said glumly. "I'm the one who brought us all here, anyway."

"Okay, no more apologizing," Yosuke said flatly. "We're here, and that's that. By the way…" He stopped suddenly. "Does anybody know where we're going?"

Chie walked straight into him. "Don't just stop like that!"

Yukiko pressed her hand against the nearest wall, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. "It can't be…"

"Is something wrong?" Nana asked.

Yukiko's eyes widened in horror. "Th-This is…" Without warning, Yukiko ran ahead so quickly that Nana couldn't see her through the fog after only a couple seconds.

"Yukiko!" Chie yelled, running after her.

"This doesn't look good," Yosuke muttered. "Come on!" He grabbed Nana's hand and began pulling her behind him as they both ran after Yukiko and Chie. As they ran, the fog seemed to grow lighter and lighter, until Nana could finally see a something like a hotel room.

Yukiko had collapsed to her knees entirely, and Chie crouched next to her. "Yukiko, what's wrong?"

"Th-This is…" Yukiko mumbled. "This is the inn! Why is it _here_?"

Nana paced around the room, taking in everything it had to offer. Plastered across the walls were numerous copies of the same photo – of a woman in a red kimono. In every photo, the head was cut out. Hanging from the ceiling was a red scarf, positioned suspiciously like… "Is that a _noose_?" Nana shrieked.

"There's no exit, either!" Yosuke yelled. He let out something halfway between a whine and a scream, and he ran to the corner of the room. "I can't hold it in anymore! I've got to let it out!"

"But why…?" Yukiko mumbled, her eyes wide in horror. "Who would do something like this?"

Nana exhaled sharply. "L-Let's just go back the way we came, okay? There should be an exit somewhere over there. There has to be."

"No…" Yukiko whispered. "I should never have…"

"You should never have _what_, exactly?"

Nana pinched her arm to make sure she wasn't dreaming, because she could swear there were _two_ Yukikos there – one in a school uniform collapsed on the ground, the same one that had entered the TV with her, and another in a pink kimono with glowing yellow eyes, smirking almost cruelly. "Wh-What the _hell_?" Yosuke whispered, falling backwards entirely.

"Y-Yukiko…?" Chie mumbled, sounding terrified as she took a few hesitant steps back.

The golden-eyed Yukiko stepped toward the one in the school uniform, grabbing her by her ribbon and yanking her up. "Are you saying you should never have skipped out on helping out at the inn? Maybe it was lying to the staff and using school as an excuse to get out of doing _anything_? Or was it coming down _here_ when you could have been… I don't know… scoring yourself a hot stud?"

"Wh-What are you talking about?" the Yukiko in the school uniform – the _real_ Yukiko, Nana was sure – stammered, sounding terrified. "That's not… That's not true…"

The fake Yukiko chuckled darkly. "Oh, please. Don't tell me you actually _believe_ that crap." She threw her arms in the air and spun in a circle. "Maybe _this_ isn't what you wanted, but you still want to get out of here."

"N-No I don't!" Yukiko denied quickly.

The fake Yukiko giggled and spun in a circle. "Isn't this place _wonderful_? So far removed from boring old Inaba… So far removed from the inn… from _everything_."

"A completely unknown, possibly dangerous place?" the real Yukiko shot back. "I don't think so!"

"You're right," the fake Yukiko sighed. "Oh, someone please take me far, far away. _Anywhere_ but here. I'm so useless, I can't even leave on my own! Historic inn? Manager training? What a load of bullshit!"

"H-How…" the real Yukiko mumbled. "How dare you?"

"That's how I feel," the fake Yukiko concluded. "And since you're me, that's how _you_ feel, too."

"Y-Yukiko-san, maybe we should—" Nana tried reasoning with her.

"That's a lie!" Yukiko yelled. "You're not me!"

The fake Yukiko started laughing almost maniacally, and darkness started swirling around her. "Ah, yes… This feels wonderful…"

Violent gusts of wind whipped about them. "Wh-What the hell is going on?" Yosuke yelled.

"Yukiko, get back!" Chie yelled.

By then, the fake Yukiko had morphed entirely into something else – something that looked suspiciously like a caged bird. "I am a Shadow," it said in a distorted version of Yukiko's voice, "the _true _self!"

"No…" the real Yukiko mumbled, collapsing to her knees. "I'm so sorry…"

Yosuke ran out in front of Yukiko and spread his arms out wide, facing the monster. "Run!" he yelled to Yukiko, Nana, and Chie. "We need to get out of here!" But then flames appeared by the entrance to the room, trapping the four of them inside. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"A-Are we going to die here…?" Chie whimpered.

Nana squeezed her eyes shut. She was going to wake up at home, and all of this was going to be a terrible nightmare… But the heat from the flames didn't subside, and when she opened her eyes, everything – the fog, the monster, Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko – was still there. And then, at that moment, a shimmering blue butterfly fluttered into her vision. It seemed so out of place amongst all the chaos, but it somehow made her feel… safe, almost.

Then, all of a sudden, her head burst with burning, searing pain, and the same voice from the previous night sounded in her mind. _Thou art I… and I am thou…_ She could feel her heart hammering in her chest as the headache suddenly subsided, and she opened her eyes hesitantly. The butterfly floated downward, and warmth bloomed in her hand as the butterfly disappeared into it, leaving a smooth card in its wake.

It was as if she'd always known what to do. _Per…_ she brought the card to her chest, … _so… _she grasped it tightly with both her hands, _… na. _Nana crushed the card with all the strength she could muster, and it felt like a huge, heavy burden was being lifted off her shoulders. She could feel power surging within her – like she could do anything she wanted.

_Thou art I_, said the same voice from before, _and I am thou. _Nana looked up and gasped as she saw what appeared to be the silhouette of a woman with flowing robes and a long sword. _I am Otohime, daughter of the sea. From the sea of thy soul, I come to thee. _

Seemingly nonsensical words floated to Nana's mind. "Garu?" she asked more than commanded, but the monster – the Shadow? – was assaulted with a violent gust of wind. It gave a horrible scream before falling entirely, dissolving into a puddle of darkness and leaving nothing but the fake Yukiko it once was before. Warmth bloomed in Nana's chest as Otohime reverted to the card she once was and slowly descended to her outstretched hand. The card disappeared soon afterward, though she had no doubt that she would be able to call on it again.

"Yukiko!" Chie yelled, running to her friend. "Are you okay?"

"Nana, that was _amazing_," Yosuke said. "How did you do that?"

"I-I don't know…" Nana answered honestly.

Yukiko turned to face her doppelganger and promptly struck her across the face. "Do you realize how much trouble you've caused for everyone?" she scolded. "What do you think would have happened if we'd died here?" The fake Yukiko remained silent, its expression stoic, and the real Yukiko sighed. "Still… you made some valid points. 'I want to run away,' 'I want someone to save me…' I can't deny that those thoughts have crossed my mind before… more often than I'd like to admit. And yes – I _did_ lie to the staff to get out of helping out at the inn today, because I wanted to spend time with my friends. That was horribly selfish and immature of me. But you…" Yukiko took a deep breath. "No. If I'm ever going to survive on my own, whether it's as the manager of the inn, or as an entirely different person someplace far away, I need to be honest with myself and own up to my faults. I don't know who or what you are… but everything you said is a part of me. That much, I can admit."

The fake Yukiko nodded once and disappeared entirely, leaving a woman that looked somewhat like a cherry blossom in its wake – a woman similar to Otohime, come to think of it. The woman dissolved into a card, which descended down to Yukiko just as Nana's had done. "Konohana Sakyua…" Yukiko said quietly. "So this is… me…" Her legs seemed to fold under her as she collapsed.

"Yukiko!" Chie cried in alarm, running to catch her.

Yosuke and Nana ran up to her as well. "Are you okay?" Yosuke asked.

"I-I'm all right…" Yukiko said tiredly. She smiled bitterly to herself, shaking her head. "How embarrassing… I'm so sorry you had to see all of this."

"Don't worry," Chie replied. "I didn't know you were hurting so much, though… I wish you'd told me…"

"If I couldn't even admit it to myself, how could I admit it to someone else?" Yukiko retorted. "Yosuke-kun, please don't tell anyone about what you saw today."

"Geez, what do you guys take me for?" Yosuke deadpanned. "Of _course_ I won't tell anyone!"

"But if you do," Chie warned, cracking her knuckles. "Critical hit to the 'nads."

"I won't, already!" Yosuke yelled.

Nana exhaled slowly and closed her eyes, and then she saw a whole different world. The next thing she knew, she was floating down a long, twisting corridor, with nothing except the blue butterfly from before to guide her. At the end of the hall was a man dressed entirely in white, with a mask designed like a butterfly covering half his face. His long brown ponytail blew in a wind that she couldn't feel. "I apologize for calling you here so suddenly," he said in a placid tone, smiling gently, "but there are matters of great importance that we must discuss."

A million questions raced through Nana's mind. Who was this man? Where was she? What had happened to her? Where were Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko? What was going on? Still, she kept her mouth tightly clamped shut; this man before her practically exuded authority, and Nana was fairly sure that he could easily snap her in half if he so desired. No, potentially provoking his anger was out of the question altogether.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the man said after a brief silence. "I am Philemon, the dweller between consciousness and unconsciousness." He pointed to her suddenly. "You recently awakened to the power of Persona, and that power has been corrupted." Nana kept silent. "If you have any questions, ask, and I will answer."

"Wh-What do you mean by 'corrupted'?" Nana asked quietly, her voice cracking.

"Forgive me," Philemon said, lowering his head ever so slightly. "Perhaps that was a poor explanation. Rather, your Persona was corrupted to begin with. I forced your hand to awaken it not only to ensure your survival, but also so that I can free you of this corruption now." He waved his arm to the side, and wind whipped about Nana.

All of a sudden, her body grew almost unbearably cold, and she wrapped her arms around herself as she shivered uncontrollably. Little by little, the chill subsided, until all that was left was slight warmth. "This corruption…" Nana said slowly. "What is it, exactly?"

"All will become clear in due time," Philemon said gently. "Until them, I ask only that you utilize this power to find a silver lining in the fog." He bowed his head slightly. "And now, you must return to your proper time and place."

Then, it was as if Nana was being forcibly ripped away from him. "Wait!" she cried on impulse. "I don't understand!"

* * *

"Hey, what's your problem? What gives you the right to talk to us like that?"

"Chie, be nice. Look, he's just as lost and confused as we are."

"All right, you stupid bear. Are you going to let us out, or not?"

Nana groaned as consciousness returned to her too slowly. Someone was grasping her legs, and she was slumped against someone's back. She had to blink several times to get her contact lenses to fall back into place, and she lifted her head groggily to see the back of Yosuke's head, Yukiko leaning quite heavily on a tired-looking Chie, and… a bear?

Chie looked to her immediately. "Nana! You're okay!"

"Thank goodness…" Yukiko said breathlessly. "You collapsed so suddenly, too…"

"Y-Yeah…" Nana answered shakily as Yosuke gently let her down. "Sorry about that."

"After you saved our asses back there, we don't really have a right to complain," Yosuke said bluntly.

"Oh yeah," Chie said. "So it looks like Yukiko can also do the thing. The thing you did back there."

"I should be able to," Yukiko amended. "I haven't actually tried it out yet."

"Talk about this when you get back!" the bear said impatiently as he started shoving everyone toward a stack of TVs behind him. Before Nana could process what was happening, she was falling through the same vortex that she was when she first fell into the TV…

… and landed in the electronics department of Junes. "Attention shoppers!" a woman's voice said over the intercom. "Our daily limited-time sale will now begin at the side dish area on the first floor. Why not try the delicious, fresh produce Junes picked for you this morning as your side dish for dinner tonight? All ages are invited to take advantage of this incredible bargain!"

"Crap, it's that late already?" Yosuke muttered as he pressed a hand to his forehead. "Ugh, I feel half dead…"

"You said it," Chie grumbled. "Let's go home… I wanna lie down and rest."

"Wait, but what about—" Yosuke started.

"Oh yeah!" Chie cut him off. "So we'll divide and conquer? I'll take Yukiko home, and you take Nana? Is everyone okay with that?"

"Yes, please," Yukiko mumbled.

"I don't care, as long as I _get_ home," Nana said flatly, politeness be damned. "But can we go to the side dish area first?"

"No problem," Yosuke answered as he helped Nana up and gripped her arm to steady her. "So…" he said to Yukiko and Chie, who started walking toward the exit. "See you guys tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Chie answered. "See you."

* * *

_So you know how "Hijacked by Ganon" is a thing in Zelda games? "Hijacked by Phil and Nyarly" should be a thing for Persona games. Did I mention that this story was going to be way different besides the obvious factor of having the main protagonist being related to Adachi?_

_Please review!_


	3. Chapter 3

_April 15, 2011_

"Wait!"

Nana stopped in her tracks as a silhouette approached her, and she couldn't tell that it was Yukiko until the girl was, quite literally, a few feet away. "Good morning," Nana said pleasantly.

"Good morning, Nana," Yukiko replied, but then her eyes widened and she immediately backtracked. "Oh… You don't mind if I call you that, do you?"

Nana smiled. "Not at all."

Yukiko smiled as they continued walking. "Okay… Last night, I had a dream about this man named Philemon. He said that I'd been blessed with the power of Persona, and that he'd help me reach my full potential." She exhaled slowly. "By 'Persona,' I'm assuming he meant those… things we somehow managed to summon. So I was wondering…"

"Yeah, I met him, too," Nana said, already knowing where Yukiko was going with this. "Remember how I passed out right after we fought that thing yesterday? Philemon spoke to me then. But… it was a little different for me, I think. He said I awakened to the power of Persona on my own, but it was… corrupted, somehow. And he got rid of that corruption."

"Do you think we can trust him?" Yukiko asked.

"I don't think we have a choice," Nana replied flatly. "Besides – I doubt we'll be using this power much. It's not like there's any need for it _outside_ the TV, and I definitely don't want to go back _into_ the TV any—" A sneeze cut her off, and she shivered, "—anytime soon."

"Did you catch a cold?" Yukiko asked, looking worried.

"Yeah…" Nana replied, sniffling a little. "It's nothing too serious, though. By the way, what is your Persona anyway?"

"Konohana Sakuya," Yukiko answered. "What's yours?"

"Otohime. You know, the one who turned into a dragon when she died." Nana stared up at the fog. "Hey, Yukiko… We're not actually summoning the gods, are we?"

"Philemon explained this to me, actually," Yukiko said. "I awakened to the power of Persona because I was able to grasp my own identity, so I think this means that these gods… these Personas are a part of us."

"Hey!" Nana heard Chie yell from somewhere behind her. "Wait up!"

"Maybe we should continue this discussion later?" Nana suggested.

Yukiko nodded as Chie caught up to them.

* * *

"Yosuke, are you okay?" Nana asked. Her new almost-friend looked utterly despondent, standing with his arms crossed and his head bowed.

"Geez, you look really depressed," Chie said. "And you were late this morning, too! What's wrong?" Yosuke only sighed and shook his head. "Fine. Suit yourself."

"I wonder why they're holding a school assembly all of a sudden," Yukiko whispered. "Maybe something's happened…"

Just then, one of the teachers stepped up to the podium on the stage. "Everyone, please settle down. The school assembly is about to begin. First, the principal has something to say."

An old man with a long white beard took the teacher's place at the podium. "I… regret to say that I have a terrible announcement for all of you. One of our third-year students, Ms. Saki Konishi of Class 3… has passed away. She was found deceased early this morning. The reasons behind her passing are currently under investigation by the police. If they ask you for your cooperation, I urge you, as students of this school, to provide only the facts."

"No…" Yukiko mumbled. "How could this happen?"

"I have been assured by the faculty that there's been no evidence that bullying was involved in the incident," the principal continued. "So mind what you say – not only to the police, but to anyone who asks."

"Yosuke, did you know about this?" Chie asked.

Yosuke sighed again, his face contorting into a grimace. "Just as I was leaving for school, my dad stopped me and told me," he said in a dull voice.

"I'm so sorry," Nana said quietly.

"Yosuke-kun…" Yukiko started, but he was already pushing his way through the crowd, trying to leave. "Maybe we should…"

"Yeah," Chie agreed. "Definitely."

They found Yosuke on the school rooftop as he stared out at the foggy town below. In the distance, Nana could hear sirens. "Nana-san, Yukiko-san…" he said without turning to look at them once. "I need your help."

"What is it?" Nana asked.

"Well…" He exhaled sharply. "Last night, I watched the Midnight Channel again, and the girl on the screen… It was Saki-senpai. I'm sure of it. She looked like she was… like she was writhing in pain. And then she just disappeared from the screen. So, I started thinking… A few days ago, remember how people were going on and on about how that announcer was their soulmate? The person you see on the Midnight Channel's supposed to be your soulmate, right? Isn't that how the rumor goes?"

"Well, yeah, but…" Chie mumbled.

"And Senpai's body was found in a similar way as that announcer's," Yosuke continued. He was talking so quickly that Nana could barely keep up, and his voice was shaking and rising in pitch. "So that announcer was on the Midnight Channel before she died. She had to be."

"So…" Yukiko said slowly. "People who show up on the Midnight Channel… are going to _die_?"

"It can't just be a coincidence," Yosuke replied. "And remember what that bear thing said? How that place was dangerous and we had to leave before the fog clears?" Nana didn't remember anything of that sort, so this conversation had to have happened while she was still unconscious. "He also said that someone's been throwing people in there. And that room with the posters on the wall? That _had_ to have had something to do with that announcer's death."

"Yosuke, just calm down for a second," Chie said. "You're upset, and you're confused, and you're overthinking this. Maybe it was just an accident, or maybe it was suicide or something."

Yosuke looked absolutely furious. "Do you know that for sure? Can you say for sure, without a doubt, that Senpai's death doesn't sound at least a _little_ weird to you?" He laughed bitterly. "What do you care? It's not like you—"

"Please, stop," Yukiko interjected.

"So you're saying you want to go back to that place, right?" Nana asked before Yosuke could get another word in. This was clearly a side of him she wasn't supposed to see – especially so soon after first meeting him. "To see if you can find anything about Konishi-senpai? Okay. I'll take you there."

"I'm coming, too," Yukiko said. "That bear said that that place is really dangerous, right? Nana and I can protect you."

"Th-This is crazy!" Chie shrieked. "Don't tell me you're seriously buying this, Yukiko!"

"We won't know unless we see for ourselves, won't we?" Nana pointed out. "You don't _have_ to come with us if you don't want to."

Chie's face turned very, very red in anger.

* * *

Yukiko wouldn't stop grinning. "This is exciting, isn't it?" she enthused. "Skipping school to come to Junes… I feel like Kanji-kun!"

"Let's not go there," Chie deadpanned.

Nana's stomach was twisting into knots. It was one thing to sleep in the infirmary all day because she didn't feel well, but skipping school altogether, when she wasn't sick enough to warrant skipping school in the first place? Her mother would _never_ forgive her for that. Asking the nurse to go home and saying that she didn't feel well was bad enough. "M-Maybe we should head back…"

"All right, we've got to hurry," Yosuke said as he tied a rope around his, Nana's and Yukiko's waists. "If my parents catch me here, I'm _dead_." He handed one end of the rope to Chie. "All right, Yukiko-san, Nana-san, are you sure you guys can…?"

"We'll do our best to keep you safe," Yukiko promised. "Let's just hope we meet that bear again." She took a deep breath and grabbed one of Yosuke's hands, grabbing the edge of the TV with her other hand. "Ready?"

Nana took Yosuke's other hand, pressing it against the TV, and nodded. "Ready."

"W-Wait!" Chie yelped as they pushed Yosuke's hands into the TV. "L-Let's just think about this for a second!" But before Chie could utter another word of protest, they let themselves fall into the TV.

Within seconds, Nana, Yukiko, and Yosuke were back where they were the previous day. Only… "The rope!" Yukiko gasped. The ends were frayed entirely, which meant that their lifeline was gone altogether.

"Oh, great," Yosuke grumbled, putting a hand to his forehead.

"We'll be okay," Nana said more to herself than to Yosuke and Yukiko. "It's all right."

The bear that Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko spoke so much of waddled in front of them, its eyes wide. Nana's memory of everything that had happened between talking to Philemon and returning to Junes was a blur, though she had to admit that the bear looked at least slightly familiar. "Y-You guys came back…" The bear scowled adorably, waving its arms up and down. "I get it! You're the one behind this!"

Yukiko sighed in relief. "Thank goodness… We're so sorry for the trouble, but…" Her eyes widened suddenly as the implications of what the bear had just said sank in. "Wh-What did you just say?"

"I told you!" the bear said. "Someone's been throwing people in here! And it has to be the funny-looking guy over there!" It pointed an accusing finger (hand?) at Yosuke.

"What the hell did you just say?" Yosuke shot back.

"Well _obviously_," the bear said. "Your girlfriends are too cute to be throwing people in here!"

Nana felt like her face was melting clean off. "D-Did you just say _girlfriends_?"

"Mr. Bear… sir," Yukiko said calmly, "I don't think you understand just what's going on here. If people get thrown in here, and they can't get out, they die… at least, that's what we think."

"Wait a minute!" Nana interjected. "If someone is knowingly throwing people in here… and those people ended up dead… then that means…" It was murder, plain and simple – or, at least it could be. She exhaled sharply. "All we know is that a dead body shows up when it gets foggy."

"Well, when the fog lifts here, it gets foggy on your side," the bear explained. "That's when the Shadows get violent, so it's really dangerous here."

"Oh, I see…" Nana mused. "So when these Shadow things get violent, they'll attack everything they see, right? So if people are still in here when that happens, they die…"

"And Yosuke-kun is _not_ the culprit," Yukiko added. The fact that Yosuke didn't say anything even slightly perverted or lecherous in response was disturbing enough.

The bear smiled. "Okay. I'll believe you. But, I want you guys to find the guy who did all this. Promise me, or else… I'm not going to let you guys out of here!"

"Y-You little…!" Yosuke ranted.

"We'll do it," Nana answered immediately, only to receive questioning stares from Yosuke and Yukiko. "What? It's not like we have much of a choice." _And it's not like we have to come back here once we get out._

"Th-Thank you!" the bear gushed. "I'm Teddie, by the way!"

"I'm Nana Adachi," Nana introduced herself. "This is Yosuke Hanamura and Yukiko Amagi."

"Pleased to meet you, Teddie," Yukiko said politely.

Teddie blushed. "Oh my… Can I call you Yuki-chan and Nana-chan?"

Nana giggled as Teddie took her hands in his and swung them back and forth. "Yes, of course."

Yukiko smiled at him. "You may. Now let's get investigating, shall we?"

"I'll take you to where the last person came in," Teddie said. "But before we go…" He pulled out three pairs of glasses – an orange-rimmed pair, a red-rimmed pair, and a black-rimmed pair – and handed it to the three of them.

"What are these glasses for?" Yosuke asked as he took the orange pair.

"I'm already wearing contacts, so I don't think these are going to work," Nana said as she hesitantly took the black pair.

"Oh, these are pretty," Yukiko sighed as she took the red pair. She put them on, and her eyes widened in shock. "Th-This is amazing!"

"What?" Yosuke asked. "What's going on?" He put on his pair and nearly jumped in surprise. "Whoa! Nana, put them on!"

Nana sighed, not entirely convinced that the glasses were going to work, but when she put them on… "It's like the fog doesn't even exist!"

"Now we can get investigating!" Teddie said as he waddled over to a walkway a little ways away. "Right this way, ladies. And Yosuke."

* * *

Nana shivered as she, Yosuke, Yukiko, and Teddie strolled through an area that looked suspiciously like a part of Inaba. "This is one of the weird places that appeared recently," Teddie explained.

"Weird places…?" Yukiko echoed as she slowly stepped toward one building and peered inside. "Like that room we were in yesterday. And now the shopping district…"

"But of all places, why your inn and the shopping district?" Nana asked.

"I don't know…" Teddie sighed. "All I know is that this is reality for the one who's here."

"Then if this is Saki-senpai's…" Yosuke said quietly. Without warning, he took off running down the street.

"Wait!" Nana called after him, but he didn't stop running. "It's too dangerous!"

Yukiko jogged in front, turning to face Nana and Teddie. "Come on! The Konishis' liquor store is this way!"

Nana purposely ran slowly so that Teddie would be able to keep up with her, and at long last, they reached the liquor store – though only Yukiko stood in front, and, instead of a normal entrance, there was a giant swirl. "Wh-What is this…?" Nana stammered.

"I think Yosuke-kun went inside by himself," Yukiko said, sighing. Teddie whimpered suddenly, putting his arms over his eyes and cowering. "What is it, Teddie?"

"Th-They're here!" he squeaked. "Inside!" He pointed hesitantly toward the store.

"If Yosuke went inside, then…" Nana mumbled. "We have to find him! He can't defend himself!" At that moment, voices began to echo around them.

_"I wish Junes would go under."_

_ "It's all because of that store."_

_ "Oh, I heard that Konishi-san's daughter is working there."_

_ "Oh my… How could she, with her family's business suffering like it is?"_

_ "I heard their sales have gone downhill because of Junes."_

_ "That poor father… to have his own daughter working for the enemy…"_

_ "What a troublesome child…"_

"This place…" Yukiko said quietly, "… is reality for those who come here… Poor Senpai… I had no idea…"

Suddenly, a man's voice echoed, more loudly and clearly than any of the others.

_"Saki! How many times do I have to tell you? You know what the neighbors say about you, right? Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Is this how the eldest daughter of this store should act? Is it the money? Or did you meet some boy there? Just tell me why you have to work _there_, of all places!"_

"Th-They're getting angry…" Teddie whimpered. "I-I think Yosuke's in danger!"

"Let's go!" Nana said as she leapt through the spiral in the store.

They found Yosuke crumpled on the floor by the front of the store, two severed halves of one picture hanging limply in each of his hands. His entire body was shaking, and his breathing was shallow and too rapid. "P-Pain in the ass…?" he mumbled to himself, his voice blank.

Nana crouched before him and put both her hands on his shoulders. "Yosuke, are you okay? What's wrong? What happened?"

From somewhere behind her, there was a loud sniffle. "It's so sad… I feel so sorry for myself…" The voice sounded like Yosuke's, but it was distorted, somehow. Sure enough, standing a little ways behind Teddie was another version of Yosuke, with glowing yellow eyes as opposed to the real Yosuke's brown ones.

"W-Wait!" Yukiko gasped. "That's just like…"

"Senpai thinks _I'm_ a pain in the ass?" the doppelganger ranted. "Well so is everything else!"

"Wh-What…?" the real Yosuke said quietly. "That… What are you saying?"

"Well, that's what _you_ think, isn't it?" the fake Yosuke sneered. "Fuck the shopping district, and Junes, too! Fuck _Inaba_ in general!"

"Shut up!" the real Yosuke yelled. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about!"

"Uh oh…" Teddie mumbled. "This doesn't look good! That Shadow's getting stronger and stronger!"

Yosuke's Shadow scowled fiercely at nothing in particular. "Who gives a shit about what _I_ think? Sure, we have to move out into the sticks, but at least Dad gets a shiny new paycheck! And those so-called 'friends' back at the city? Who cares that they haven't texted or called since New Years? But it's all good now, isn't it? This brand new place shows up, just _begging_ to be explored… and Saki-senpai couldn't have died at a better time, because now you actually have an _excuse_ to come here!"

"That's not true!" the real Yosuke yelled. "I'd never think like that!"

"Newsflash," the Shadow said flatly. "You do. You know why? Because I _am_ you!"

"That's not true!" Yosuke yelled again. "You're not me, you son of a bitch!"

Just like what had happened with Yukiko's Shadow, darkness started swirling around Yosuke's. "This is really, really bad!" Teddie cried.

"This is just like what happened with me, isn't it?" Yukiko asked.

Within seconds, the Shadow was no longer a doppelganger of Yosuke, but a large, frog-like creature. "I am a Shadow," it practically growled, "the true self!" It lifted one enormous foot and brought it down toward Yosuke.

"Look out!" Nana shrieked, tackling Yosuke to the ground, narrowly avoiding the attack. "Are you all right?"

"Nana-san, this isn't…" Yosuke said weakly.

"Persona!" Yukiko called as she summoned Konohana Sakuya, and the Shadow was promptly engulfed in flames.

"That _hurt_, you bitch!" the Shadow yelled.

_"I was just nice to him because he's the manager's son! But he took it totally the wrong way, and now he thinks I _like_ him, or something! What a dip!"_

Nana clenched her fists and ran protectively in front of Yosuke, summoning Otohime and attacking the Shadow with a gust of wind. The Shadow swatted a giant arm at Otohime, and Nana herself was promptly knocked off her feet. It took several seconds for her to catch her breath. "Yukiko!" she yelled as soon as she could. "If your Persona gets hurt, you will, too! Be careful!"

And, as it turned out, the warning was entirely unnecessary, because one last flurry of flames sent the Shadow crashing down and reverting back to its original form as Yosuke's doppelganger. The real Yosuke stood up and staggered toward it, glaring at it. "You… You're not me…"

"I finally understand…" Yukiko whispered. "That thing came from you, Yosuke-kun – just like the one from yesterday came from me."

"You have to accept it, Yosuke," Teddie said, "or it'll go berserk again."

"Damn it…" Yosuke muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Having everything out in the open like this sure is embarrassing… Don't tell anyone about this, okay? Well, I guess Chie can know, but besides her…" With Nana's help, he stood up and looked his Shadow square in the eye. "I wasn't lying about coming here for Saki-senpai… but… I guess it was a little of everything else, too. When it comes down to it, all of this is me. You're me… and I'm you." His Shadow nodded once and disappeared, leaving a large frog-like figure with a flowing red cape in its wake. The Persona shrank into a card that descended down to Yosuke, and Yosuke's body was enveloped with light. "This is my Persona, huh…?" And with that, he sank to his knees.

"Yosuke-kun!" Yukiko cried in alarm as she rushed to his side.

"Are you all right?" Nana asked.

Yosuke actually laughed at that. "Never been better. A pain in the ass, huh? What a way to find out…"

"Did Senpai say that about you?" Yukiko asked. "I don't think she meant it the way you think she did, Yosuke-kun. She _did_ seem rather stressed out about everything… so maybe she was just angry at everything in general, including you."

"I guess I'll never know, then," Yosuke said solemnly as he stood up with Nana's help, leaning quite heavily on her. "Say, Teddie… Could Senpai have been attacked by her other self here? Just like it was for me and Yukiko-san?"

Teddie frowned contemplatively. "I don't know… Shadows originally came from humans, and strong Shadows attract other Shadows to it when they go bear-serk… and then they kill the host."

"That sounds really painful…" Nana sighed, covering her nose as she sneezed.

"You guys look really worn out…" Teddie pointed out. "This world isn't made for humans, so it's not comfortable for you here. I don't hear any more voices, so I think we're done here."

"Can you lead us out, Teddie?" Yukiko asked tiredly.

Teddie smiled. "Sure thing, Yuki-chan!"

* * *

"So I think it's safe to assume that Ms. Yamano and Senpai were thrown in there," Yosuke said. "So that means—"

"Yosuke, can we _please_ talk about this tomorrow?" Nana begged. "My head feels like it's splitting open." She and Yukiko had insisted on walking Yosuke home, and Nana was starting to regret that decision, because now she felt even worse.

Yukiko sighed. "I wonder if Chie's okay… She seemed so… standoffish when we came back…"

"She'll get over it," Yosuke muttered. By now, they had reached the shopping district, which ironically was rather close to where Yosuke lived. "Do you guys mind if we stop somewhere first?"

"You want to visit the liquor store, don't you?" Nana asked. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I just…" Yosuke said. "I have to do this."

And that was how they found themselves in the very real liquor store, which looked almost identical to the realm they'd seen in the TV. A tall, broad-shouldered, imposing-looking man stood at the counter at the front of the store and scowled immediately upon seeing Yosuke. "Get out," he practically snarled.

"K-Konishi-san, I just wanted to—" Yosuke started, walking toward the front of the store.

The man, Saki Konishi's father, no doubt, stomped over to Yosuke, his glare unwavering. "Get. Out."

"I just wanted to say—" Yosuke said again, but then the man struck him across the face. Perhaps, if Yosuke was in better condition, he wouldn't have fallen over entirely like he did.

"What right do you have to barge in here?" Konishi roared as he lifted Yosuke by the collar of his school jacket. "You're not welcome here, Hanamura! Not in this store, and not in Inaba!"

"Konishi-san, enough." Nana jumped as the same detective she'd met on the first day of school – Tohru's boss – entered the store. "You have every right to be angry and upset after what happened, but taking it out on kids isn't going to solve a damn thing."

"What do you want, Dojima?" Konishi asked a bit rudely as he released Yosuke, who stumbled behind Nana and Yukiko. "You here to buy something, or are you here for work stuff?"

"Work stuff," Dojima answered, "but I can see that this isn't a good time. I'll be back tomorrow."

"We're sorry for the trouble," Yukiko said politely as she, Nana, and Yosuke stumbled out of the store after Dojima.

The detective made his way to his car and unlocked it. "Get in," he instructed. "You three look dead on your feet, and I really don't want to see you hanging from TV antennas or telephone poles or whatever they come up with next because you couldn't make it home on your own."

"Wait…" Yosuke said slowly. "Are you saying you'll… give us a ride?"

"Oh no, we couldn't," Nana said hastily. "I don't live too far away from here."

"Neither do I," Yukiko added.

"Get in," Dojima said again, leaving no room for argument.

* * *

"Nana… Hey, Nana!"

She only barely registered Tohru poking her repeatedly in the arm as she struggled to raise her head. Upon leaving the TV world, Nana felt like she'd been hit by a truck; now, she simply felt dead. "H-Huh…? Oh, sorry. I just dozed off there for a second."

On the television screen, a news anchor interviewed Dojima. "Is there anyone you suspect is the culprit?" the anchor asked.

"Even if there was, it's not like I'd blab it on the news…" Dojima muttered, looking disgruntled.

Tohru sniggered. "That's Dojima-san for you," he said. "He's kind of a grump, but he's a big softie on the inside."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" the news anchor asked.

"No, there's no one yet," Dojima said with a sigh, "but I can assure you that we're doing everything in our power to catch the one responsible."

"Thank you, Dojima-san!" the anchor said, grinning at the camera as if there hadn't just been a murder that morning. "And now, a word from our sponsors." A Junes commercial started blaring, and Nana once again rested her head on top of her arms on the table.

Tohru stared at her in concern. "You okay? Your face is kind of flushed."

"I'm okay…" Nana sighed. Her throat hurt so much that it hurt to swallow. "I just caught a little cold."

He placed one hand on her forehead and the other on his own. "You're burning up." He sighed, averting his eyes. "Sheesh, what a pain…"

"S-Sorry…" Nana mumbled, pressing a hand to her forehead.

"Oh no, not you," Tohru said immediately. "I mean, I'm just saying that it sucks that you had to get so sick right after moving here, y'know? You should probably take it easy tomorrow and stay home from school."

"I can't!" Nana protested. "If I do that, Mom will—"

"Don't worry about what Mom says," Tohru cut her off. "Besides, it's not like we have to tell her. What she doesn't know won't kill her."

"Okay, fine," Nana sighed, too exhausted to put up a better fight. "I'll stay home."

* * *

_And… yeah. Changes to canon. More so than the Phil/Nyarly thing. Huzzah._

_Please review!_


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